Wednesday, May 28, 2008

SAM: An electric trike from Switzerland…

Designed and built by the Swiss-based Cree Ltd., this is SAM, a battery-powered trike with a top speed of about 85km/h. GSX-Rs need petrol. This doesn't...

Designed and developed by Swiss company, Cree Ltd., SAM is a zero emission vehicle (ZEV) which is currently being tested in Switzerland. The three-wheeled vehicle, which has been in development for the last eight years, is now approved for road use.

SAM features two wheels at the front, and one at the back, with two seats placed one behind the other. The trike is powered by an electric motor that develops 15kW and 80Nm of torque. The motor gets its juice from 14 batteries of 168V, and these take six hours to get fully charged. Range on one full charge is about 60km, and SAM can hit a top speed of 85km/h. Time taken to accelerate from zero to 50km/h, with two passengers on board, is seven seconds.

In terms of passenger safety, SAM comes fitted with three-point safety belts and an integrated roll bar. The trike rides on 15-inch wheels, and brakes are 240mm discs all around. When it finally goes on sale (next year, perhaps?), SAM will cost the equivalent of US$10,000. For more information, visit the Cree website here